The 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup is set to take place from October 5 to November 19, when India will host the ICC's showpiece event for the fourth time since the tournament's inception.
The curtain raiser will witness a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final as reigning champions England take on New Zealand in Hyderabad. India will play their opening match of the World Cup against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on October 8.
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All matches will either start at 10:30 am in the morning or at 2:00 pm in the afternoon. India will play all their matches under lights which means their games will start at 2:00 pm.
Before that, experts from across the world are picking their favourites for the marquee global tournament. TSN lists them all.
What are Sunil Gavaskar's favourites for the World Cup?
Gavaskar picked England as the favourites of the ICC ODI World Cup ahead of India. However, he did mention that the Men in Blue will have an advantage of playing in home conditions.
"The defending champions England. Because of the kind of talent that they have at the top of the batting order, two or three world-class all-rounders who can change the game with both bat & ball. And they have a very good and experienced bowling line-up. At the moment, in my books, certainly," he opined.
#SunilGavaskar & @IrfanPathan call out their favourites to win the #CWC2023 👀
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) September 29, 2023
Who do you think will go all the way and attain the #GreatestGlory, #India or #England? 🏆#Cricket pic.twitter.com/IylpT2syND
“At home, it’s always an advantage. The crowd support, the knowledge of how the pitch is going to be… so yes, they (India) definitely are the favourites. But there are 2-3 other teams equally good. So, it’s difficult to say if they are going to win because cricket is a game which can change in a matter of overs, particularly in fifty-over format,” Gavaskar told India Today.
Australia are good, Pakistan is good as well, so these are the side which are pretty much in contention. But don’t forget that New Zealand are always under the radar,” he added.
What did Mitchell Marsh predict?
"I honestly think that it will be Australia v Pakistan in the final," he told the Club Prairie Fire podcast.
Michael Vaughan warned Marsh that taking out India might not be a good idea for his social media.
"You [Mitchell Marsh] have taken out India from the list of favourites, for which you might face backlash on social media."
Marsh responded to him, saying, "I also got about if I could predict the scorecard of the India vs Australia first World Cup match. I said Australia 370, and India all out 65. My social media was absolutely blowing out from Indian cricket fans. Not sure, they quite got my sarcasm I have got hate for that."
During his stint with Delhi Capitals, Marsh did make some outrageous predictions for the World Cup.
“Australia will stay undefeated, defeating India in the final. Australia 450/2 in the final, India all out 65,” Marsh was quoted as saying in a podcast for the Delhi Capitals.
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Kevin Pietersen terms India as favourites to win ODI World Cup
Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen holds a similar view as he tweeted on X about India being the favorites to lift the ODI World Cup title in 2023.
Rating all the top teams, Pietersen firstly commented on South Africa, who he thinks are also a contender, more so because of their series-win against Australia in which they came back from behind after being 0-2 down.
The cricketer-turned-commentator opined that England are placed better after India than all other sides. While he termed Pakistan as a "threat", he also added that Australia, as usual, would also be lurking near the trophy.
Who did Faf du Plessis pick as his favourites for the ICC World Cup?
In conversation with the ICC, Du Plessis revealed that he believes India and record champions Australia are the two favourites for the global crown.
"I think South Africa has got a really good side. It will be hard to get past a team like India in home conditions. The other team you can never write off is Australia, with them being so successful in ICC events," said Faf du Plessis.
"South Africa's white-ball team is in a strong place. They've got some real experience going into that World Cup," added Du Plessis.
The 39-year-old opined that subcontinent teams will have an advantage over teams outside of it as the pitches vary greatly in ODI cricket than the shorter format of the sport.
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In fact, in 2011, the last time the World Cup was played in Asia, three teams from the sub-continent made it to the semifinals - India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, with New Zealand making up the last four.
"The challenge for all teams that are not from the subcontinent is obviously always the challenge of going to the subcontinent. Especially 50-over cricket. I find with T20 cricket, the surfaces are a bit more even. And you get some really good pitches. With 50-over cricket, you can get that wear and tear and the spinners really come into their own," said Faf du Plessis.
Who will win the 2023 World Cup?
India, England and Australia are among the top five favourites for the 2023 World Cup title. The odds from Dafabet are as follows.
| Team | Odds (Dafabet) |
|---|---|
| India | 3.25 |
| England | 4.50 |
| Australia | 5.00 |
| Pakistan | 8.00 |
| New Zealand | 9.00 |
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